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If you are a runner or an athlete looking for enhanced protection while performing sports and other daily activities, custom-made orthotics from your podiatrist in Chicago may be an appropriate solution to providing comfort for your feet. Also known as orthoses, orthotics refer to any device inserted into a shoe, ranging from felt pads to custom-made shoe inserts that correct an abnormal or irregular walking pattern. Custom-made orthotics are used to control motion in the foot and eliminate foot pain commonly associated with many foot and ankle conditions. Orthotics can treat conditions associated with heel pain/plantar fasciitis, arthritis, tendonitis, flat foot and high arch deformities, among others. To aide in diagnosis, treatment fabrication of orthotics for many foot and ankle conditions, computer gait analysis is used to provide information about how people walk and run. Custom-Made Orthotics As you walk, your heel swings from side to side slightly. If your heel swings too far when you walk or run, your foot may be over pronating, or flattening too much. The incorrect movement stresses and weakens parts of your foot. Over time, you may develop symptoms in your feet ranging from a change in the shape to pain while you walk or run. Custom-made orthotics are medical devices that support and gently reposition the heel, arch, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones in the feet. These enable the structures to work together as nature intended; ensuring each step you take is pain-free. Unlike shoe inserts that are bought over-the-counter, custom-made orthotics are built from molds of your feet to meet your unique needs. Additionally, they can be designed to properly fit in dress shoes, athletic shoes, boots, and skates. Custom-made orthotics can relieve an array of different types of foot pain including: * Heel pain and plantar fasciitis.
* Arch pain.
* Pain caused by running, walking, and other athletics.
* Pain related to diabetes.
* Pain experienced by senior citizens. Computer Gait Analysis to Diagnose Problems With computer gait analysis, patients can simply step onto a computer-linked, pressure-sensitive mat for foot scanning and foot pressure mapping. The detailed, computer-generated graphic reports help your podiatrist prescribe the best treatment solutions for you that may include custom orthotics or surgical repair. It is used to discover abnormal movements, which can produce high levels of stress in joints and muscles resulting in injury. Orthotics are able to minimize these abnormal movements and associated stresses. Using your foot pressure, the gait analysis system can help to diagnose many faults in foot function, which can lead to problems in the lower back, hip and through the leg. Once a problem area has been identified, the data from the gait scanning systems can be applied in many versatile ways from helping a patient recover from an injury to helping maintain performance at peak levels for an athlete or to advise them of where they can improve their gait efficiency. Orthotics through the help of the computerized gait analysis can make corrections that will save you from the aches and pains in your feet, legs and back. Your podiatrist in Chicago utilizes the gait analysis and orthotics to allow you to return to a pain-free lifestyle.
Sean Hartmen writes for Affiliated Podiatrists, Ltd., Chicago podiatrists. Offering an array of specialized treatments for foot and ankle conditions, such as treating Chicago nail fungus, Six Corners Medical Center is equipped to handle any podiatric need.
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